Sound of Confusion

Last updated

Sound of Confusion
Spacemen 3 - Sound Of Confusion Orig.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 1986
Genre Garage rock, neo-psychedelia
Length39:48
71:20 (1994 re-release)
Label Glass (original UK release)
Fire (various UK reissues)
Taang! (1995 US release)
Producer Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 chronology
Sound of Confusion
(1986)
Transparent Radiation
(1987)
Alternative cover
Spacemen 3 - Sound of Confusion.jpg
1994 re-release.
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
NME 5/10 [2]
PopMatters 8/10 [3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [5]

Sound of Confusion is the first studio album by space rock group Spacemen 3, released in July 1986 on Glass Records. Four of the seven songs are cover versions; "Hey Man" combines the melody of Amen (gospel song) with the lyrics of Fixin' to Die Blues by Bukka White, "Rollercoaster", originally by the 13th Floor Elevators, "Mary Anne" (originally ″Just One Time″) by Juicy Lucy and "Little Doll" by The Stooges. The closing track "O.D. Catastrophe" clearly references the vocal melody of "T.V. Eye" by The Stooges, with an early version of the song even being titled "T.V. Catastrophe". [6]

Contents

It was re-released in 1994 by Taang! including the three tracks on the Walkin' With Jesus EP and a demo of the song "2.35". [1] It was re-released again in 1996 on Fire Records, who also re-released it as a vinyl LP in 2009.

Track listing

Original release (Glass GLALP 018)

All tracks are written by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Losing Touch with My Mind" 5:29
2."Hey Man" 4:49
3."Rollercoaster" (13th Floor Elevators cover) Roky Erickson, Tommy Hall 7:50
4."Mary Anne" (The song "Mary Anne" is actually a cover of "Just One Time" by Juicy Lucy) Glenn Ross Campbell, Neil Hubbard 4:13
5."Little Doll" (The Stooges cover) David Alexander, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, James Osterberg 5:25
6."2:35" 3:08
7."O.D. Catastrophe" 8:54
1994 re-issue bonus tracks (Taang!)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Walkin' With Jesus" 5:52
9."Rollercoaster" (13th Floor Elevators cover. Extended Version)Erickson, Hall17:03
10."Feel So Good" 4:57
11."2:35" (Demo) 3:40

Personnel

Spacemen 3
Additional personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spacemen 3</span> English rock band (1982–1991)

Spacemen 3 were an English rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of "trance-like neo-psychedelia" consisting of heavily distorted guitar, synthesizers, and minimal chord or tempo changes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spiritualized</span> English space rock band

Spiritualized are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce, formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centered on Pierce, Doggen Foster (guitar) and Kevin Bales with revolving bassists and keyboard players. The band's current bassist, James Stelfox, has been playing with the band since 2012.

<i>Fun House</i> (The Stooges album) 1970 studio album by the Stooges

Fun House is the second studio album by American rock band the Stooges. It was released on July 7, 1970, by Elektra Records. Though initially commercially unsuccessful, Fun House has since developed a strong cult following. Like its predecessor and successor, it is considered an integral work in the development of punk rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Pierce</span> English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Jason Andrew Pierce is an English musician. Currently the frontman and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized, he previously co-fronted the alternative rock band Spacemen 3 with Peter Kember from 1982 until 1991. He has worked under the name J. Spaceman.

<i>The Perfect Prescription</i> 1987 album by Spacemen 3

The Perfect Prescription is the second studio album by British neo-psychedelic band Spacemen 3, released in 1987. It is a concept album, "a vision of a drug trip from inception to its blasted conclusion, highs and lows fully intact."

<i>Performance</i> (Spacemen 3 album) 1988 live album by Spacemen 3

Performance is the first live album from Spacemen 3, documenting a set from the Perfect Prescription tour. It was recorded on February 6, 1988, at De Melkweg, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

<i>Playing with Fire</i> (Spacemen 3 album) 1989 studio album by Spacemen 3

Playing with Fire is the third studio album by Spacemen 3, released in February 1989. The original CD version included two live bonus tracks recorded in the Netherlands, and an ensuing release on Taang! Records included two more b-sides from the "Revolution" single. A reissued version from 2001 has an entire extra disc of demos and rarities.

<i>Recurring</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Spacemen 3

Recurring is the fourth and final Spacemen 3 studio album, released in early 1991 on Fire Records. The band had broken up prior to the release of the album. During the recording, the relations between band members had soured to the extent that the record is in two parts – the first side by Peter Kember, and the second by Jason Pierce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Kember</span> English musician and record producer (born 1965)

Peter Kember, also known by his stage name Sonic Boom, is an English singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He was a founding member, vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist of alternative rock band Spacemen 3, lasting from 1982 until the band's dissolution in 1991. He is now based in Sintra, Portugal.

<i>Royal Albert Hall October 10 1997</i> 1998 live album by Spiritualized

Royal Albert Hall October 10, 1997 is a live album by the English space rock group Spiritualized, recorded during an October show at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of their 1997 tour of the United Kingdom. The album was released in late 1998.

Will Carruthers is a musician, best known for playing bass in the influential alternative rock bands Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized.

<i>Another Case of Brewtality</i> 1997 studio album by Gang Green

Another Case of Brewtality was the fourth full-length album from American hardcore punk band, Gang Green. It was released on October 7, 1997, by Taang Records.

<i>Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music</i> 1990 live album by Spacemen 3

Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music is a 1990 live album by Spacemen 3.

<i>For All the Fucked Up Children</i> 1995 studio album by Spacemen 3

For All the Fucked Up Children is a 1995 release from the neo-psychedelic trio Spacemen 3. The record consists of what claims to be Spacemen 3's first ever recording session, from 1984. The music sounds like a primitive version of the group, the dominating sound of the record is a slow, droning psychedelic blues performed with spare instrumentation. A drum set is matched with a pair of distorted electric guitars, all of which provide a swirling foundation for Jason Pierce's vocals. The album's liner notes is an early review by Gary Boldie, where he contemplates the city of Rugby and finds it an odd source for this new sound, and while he declares Spacemen 3 as the "all singing, all dancing answer to the problems of a grey 1985," he admits they are still raw, a little too repetitive, and need time to blossom.

<i>Translucent Flashbacks – The Singles</i> 1995 compilation album by Spacemen 3

Translucent Flashbacks is a compilation album released in 1995 that combines the first three Spacemen 3 singles and their B-sides. The singles, which were released on Glass Records between 1986 and 1988, are "Walkin' With Jesus", the Transparent Radiation EP and "Take Me To The Other Side".

<i>Transparent Radiation</i> 1987 EP by Spacemen 3

Transparent Radiation is an EP by the British alternative rock band Spacemen 3. It was released in July 1987 on 12-inch vinyl. The title track is a cover version of a Red Krayola song on The Parable of Arable Land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Me to the Other Side</span> 1988 single by Spacemen 3

"Take Me to the Other Side" is the second single from the English alternative rock band Spacemen 3. It was recorded at VHF studios in Rugby, Warwickshire, and released in July 1988 as a 12" single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big City (Spacemen 3 song)</span> 1991 single by Spacemen 3

"Big City" is the fifth and last single from the English alternative rock band Spacemen 3. It entered the UK charts at position #88. It was released in January 1991, shortly after the band split up, as a 7", 12" and CD single. The 7" contains a shorter version of the song than the 12". A remixed version was released separately. The 7" edit appears on the band's final album Recurring under the title "Big City ".

<i>Forever Alien</i> Album by Spectrum

Forever Alien is the third studio album by British space rock band Spectrum, a project led by Peter Kember under the pseudonym Sonic Boom. It was released in August 1997 by Space Age Records. After the band's preceding EP Songs for Owsley (1996) moved them away from guitar-oriented music and towards electronic music, Forever Alien furthered this approach considerably, as Kember aimed to create a predominately electronic album that sounded organic and analogue in style. The record is dominated by vintage analogue synthesizers, including the EMS VCS 3 and EMS Synthi AKS. Kember had become fascinated by the synths as he felt they presented him with more musical possibilities than guitars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sour Truth</span>

The Sour Truth is a collaboration between English musicians Stanley Belton as Black Market Karma and Peter Kember as Sonic Boom. It was released on 16 August 2023 by Flower Power Records, premiering through the online magazine God Is in the TV. It is available as a 10-inch transparent vinyl record, limited to 500 copies.

References

  1. 1 2 Raggett, Ned. "Sound of Confusion – Spacemen 3". AllMusic . Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  2. Fadele, Dele (9 September 1989). "Spacemen 3: Sound of Confusion". NME . p. 41.
  3. Mathers, Ian (21 November 2013). "Spacemen 3: Sound of Confusion / The Perfect Prescription / Performance". PopMatters . Archived from the original on 24 November 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  4. Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Spacemen 3". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  763–764. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  5. Strauss, Neil (1995). "Spacemen 3". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 371–373. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  6. "T.V. Catastrophe - Spacemen 3 | Song Info | AllMusic".